Arch-support.



E. MUELLER.

ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.9. l9l5.

1,238,179. Y Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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E. IVIUELLER.

ARCH SUPPORT.

APPLICATION FILED A UG.9. I9I5.

l ,238, l 79'., Patented Aug. 28, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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ERNST MUELIER, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ARCH-SUPPORT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug., 12S, 1917.

Application filed August 9, 1915. Serial No. 44,364.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ERNST MUELLER, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at St. Louis and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Im-` provements in Arch-Supports, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to boots and shoes and particularly to arch supports.

An object of this invention is to provide novel means for supporting` arches of the feet by means which are easily applied to the shoes and will be sufficiently yieldable to prevent discomfiture to the wearer, the said invention including novel means of construction of a non-metallic arch which will prove efficient and satisfactory in use and be free of the disadvantages and dangers inherent in metallic arches, part of the danger being due to the liability of fracture of the metal arch which would result in cutting the foot of the wearer.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a non-metallic arch having a cushion to relieve pressure on callous places so that the said callous places will disappear by reason of the fact that the exciting cause thereof is modified or removed.

Vith the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention consists in the details of construction, and inthe arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully set forth and claimed.

In describing the invention in detail, reference will be had ta theaccompanying drawings forming part of this specification wherein like characters denote corresponding parts in the several liews, and in Which- Figure 1 illustrates an underneath plan view of an arch support embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 illustrates a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 3 illustrates a transverse sectional view- Fig. 4 illustrates a plan view of an arch support including a slightly modified construction;

Fig. 5 illustrates a side elevation thereof;

Fig. 6 illustrates a longitudinal sectional view of a fragment of the arch supporter; and

Fig. 7 illustrates a transverse sectional view of said arch support.

In these drawings 8 denotes the body or upper layer of material constituting a part of the -arch support, the outer edge 9 of which is beveled and flared with respect to the main portion of the said body and the element just described has preferably a smooth upper surface which constitutes the foot support or foot engaging member proper- In order to maintain the body in its flared or arched conguratiom'there is a series of lifts or layers of leather identified by the reference numbers 10 and 11, and a facing strip identified by the reference numeral 12. In the form of invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to 3 inclusive, each of the elements 10, 11 and 12 taper in width from their outer to their inner edges and the said elements are furthermore stepped as to their lengths as is well shown in Fig. 3 of the drawing so that by shaping the elements as indicated, the body 8 is given a symmetrical curve or proper arc to conform to the contour of the arch of a foot.

The element 12, which, as stated, constitutes the bottom facing strip is secured to the body by stitching which occupies a space near the inner edge of the element 12, whereas the elements l0 and 11 are secured to the body and facing strip by cement.l

The form of invention illustrated in Figs. 4 to 7 inclusive is of the same general construction as that heretofore described and it includes a body 13 having a flared outer edge 14 and the lifts 15 and 16 and facing strip 17 are of the same general construction as that illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing but in order to show how it is possible to increase or diminish the height of the arch by forming the lifts or supporting elements of different cross sectional areas and shapes, I have shown the element 15 as being of the Samegeneral outline as the element 10, but I have modified the lift 16 as compared with the middle lift 11 of the form shown in Fig. 3, by beveling the inner edge of they soV causing the formation of the arch which slopes longitudinally toward the front and rear.

The inventor contemplates and 'has found in practice that arch supports made in accordance with the invention will afford relief to persons aicted with weak ankles or weak or broken arches; and furthermore that arch supports made in accordance with the invention will prove comparatively inexpensive to produce.

I claiml. In an arch support, a body having a flared edge, padding strips secured to the flared edge of the body, said padding strips being beveled, a facing strip secured to one #of the padding strips, a yielding pad adjacent to the front edge of the body, of substantially the width of the forward portion of the support and securedthereto, a facing strip secured to the support and adapted to engage the yielding pad for securing the same to the body portion, and lines of stitching for securing the facing strips to the body.

2. An arch support, comprising an insole having a portion of the inner edge thereof beveled and upturned, a supporting portion curving longitudinally and inwardly, designed to lie `beneath the posterior section of the longitudinal arch of the foot and formed from stepped beveled filling layers, a facing strip secured to one of said layers and being attached to the insole at its inner edge, and a yielding pad extending transversely of the forward end of the insole and located beneath the transverse arch of the foot, substantially as specied.

3. An arch support, comprising an insole having a portion of the inner edge thereof beveled and upturned, a supporting portion curving longitudinally andinwardly, designed to lie beneath the posterior 4section of the longitudinal arch of the foot and formed from stepped beveled lling layers, and a facing strip secured to one of said layers and being attached to the insole at its inner edge.

In testimony whereof, I afliX my signa-A ture in the presence of two witnesses.

ERNST MUELLER. WVitnesvses M AX F. RULER, ALBERT W. JOHNSON. 

